Just a few hours after qualifying for the Final 4 in Abu Dhabi, Alek Peters, Saibin Li, and Yiannoulis Larenztakis shared their thoughts and feelings with OlympiacosBC TV cameras, both about the victory over Real Madrid and about the rest of the season.
Initially, the American forward, when asked if there are still 2 games left to win the Euroleague, emphasized: “We have a game on Sunday (note: for the Basket League semifinals, against AEK), so I don’t know what everyone else has in mind, but we have another competition. So, yes, we still have two Euroleague games ahead of us, and the good thing about the Final Four is that anything can happen. The four teams that qualify all have their chances, and the key is that weekend and who will play their best game. We have… a lot of basketball to play in both competitions.”
Saibin Li commented: “It’s incredible. It will be my first time in a Final Four, in my first year with the team. So, it’s very exciting. Great group of guys, and I’m thrilled about what’s next.”
Regarding how he experienced the “tough” game against Real Madrid, he said: “It was obviously a challenging journey for us, two tough games. We had to reach the top, finish the series in the second game, and secure our ticket to the Final Four. The work isn’t done. Obviously, that’s the next step. We want to finish the job when we get to Abu Dhabi.”
Finally, Yiannoulis Larenztakis noted that the work isn’t finished yet, as the goal is to win the trophy. Specifically, he said: “It’s a big deal, we’re very happy. I believe we deserve it this year too; we’ve shown great consistency over the years, and rightly we are in the Final Four.”
On whether, at the end of the match, he thought that the other team shouldn’t have scored that one time: “Always when the game reaches that point and you’re playing against Real Madrid, that particular shot comes to mind. It was something that hurt us a lot, and at least this year, it didn’t go in, and we celebrated the qualification to the Final Four here.”
Regarding the fact that the work isn’t finished: “That’s right, the work isn’t done. This year, the team has been built to win the Euroleague. Nothing less. Our goal is only the title. We need to be ready to fight for it and to win it.”
On the recipe for success over the last at least four years: “Daily work plays an important role. I believe that health and hard work are the main ingredients. We are like a family here; everyone supports each other. Over these years, with all the good and bad moments, we’ve always managed to keep a positive outlook for Olympiacos.”
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